


Foolish decisions - IV

by viictoriasong



Series: Foolish decisions [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: AU, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-11
Updated: 2016-04-11
Packaged: 2018-06-01 16:59:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6528436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/viictoriasong/pseuds/viictoriasong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“My parents – they said they would come back. They never really said goodbye. They just left and didn’t return. ” Rey sobs. “I want Padmé to remember me and know I left her in good hands.” So this is what her tears are about, Kylo thinks. Rey isn’t afraid to die – she’s afraid to leave unfinished. Scared to be separated from their daughter by something more permanent than just time and space.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Foolish decisions - IV

**Author's Note:**

> To celebrate that I handed in a preliminary version of my bachelor thesis today. Cheers and enjoy!

Kylo’s guard whisks him away from his cell one dreary evening. They walk through the halls of the Resistance base in silence some time before the man pushes him into an unfamiliar room. 

He finds his mother, uncle and the Captain that interrogated him all those months ago seated at a large table. 

Leia and Luke greet him with welcoming smiles, but the women is stern and sour faced – still does not like Kylo, then. 

She wastes no time and gestures for him to sit. 

“Kylo Ren, my name is Captain Rel Idoon. Some twenty months ago you turned yourself in to the Resistance. After initial questioning you were imprisoned, awaiting further sentencing. I am here today on behalf of the Resistance Council to present you with their verdict.” 

Kylo tenses. This was going to happen, sooner or later. While his pending sentence had cast a shadow over his life, being imprisoned had also granted him much needed quiet and routine. What where they going to do with him?  

“In light of your continued cooperation, the Council has decided you will be released from their custody a week from today.” Idoon glances up from the papers in front of her, lips pursed. “On three specific  conditions.” 

She looks back down and continues reading Kylo’s verdict in a bored tone. “One, you will be implanted with a tracker chip for a yet to be determined amount of years. This way, the Resistance and its future successors will keep an eye on you.” 

“Two, you will be placed into custody of your mother, General Leia Organa -” Idoon gestures to her right, “And your uncle, Luke Skywalker.” then to her left. “You are required to stay with one or both of them for the time being.” 

“Three, you are obviously not allowed to engage in any sort of behaviour that endangers the Resistance and its objectives. Suspicious activities on your part will lead to an immediate retraction of your freedom and you will be imprisoned again.” 

The Captain looks at Kylo once more. “Do you accept these terms or do you wish to protest this verdict?” 

Kylo nods. _Of course he accepts_. This is more than he could have hoped for! 

She spares no time in gathering up her papers and leaving the conference room. Luke pats Kylo on the back and Leia gives him a quick hug. Then, his guard takes him by the arm again and they walk back to his cell. 

* * *

 Kylo finds Rey waiting for him, comfortably sitting on his bed. 

There’s a curious twinkle in her eyes. “So? How did it go?” 

No need to tell her of his sentence – she and Luke discuss his fate often, Kylo knows. She probably heard of this meeting before he did. 

“Good?” His voice is small. In all honestly – he feels rather dazed. Kylo hadn’t expected the sentencing to be over so quick, to happen on such a unassuming evening. He’d always figured the Resistance would make a big show out of doing away with him. “It seems the Council was in a hurry to get it over with.” 

He moves towards Rey, putting himself opposite her on the bed. 

“Once we take out Snoke, the Resistance will have much bigger things to deal with than an old villain that hardly gives them trouble anymore.” Rey responds with a cheeky smile. “The Third Republic will give them plenty of other things to focus on.” 

 _Ha_. How fast one falls from grace, Kylo thinks to himself. 

“Padmé’s not here?” He asks then. He’s gotten used to sharing his cell with her and Rey, and it feels off that the child is not here with them. He remembers the last time they were truly alone – but that was on Starkiller base. A different time, a different setting, a different _life_. 

Their relationship was different then, despite the physical and mental proximity they shared at that time. 

The expression on her face falls, a frown appearing. “No. Finn’s watching her. I… I came because I wanted to have a few words with you.” 

Kylo’s not sure he likes the sound of that. 

“The Resistance is ready for an attack on Snoke’s base. We’re leaving tomorrow.” She gazes down to her hands in her lap. “Luke will be coming too, as you know.” 

Kylo does. After Luke came back from his self-imposed seclusion, he had been adamant in joining the Resistance against Snoke. He had wanted his nephew to follow his lead, but that had been a step too far for Kylo. 

“There’s something I wanted to say. Ask you.” Rey looks up again, a determined expression now gracing her features. “Whether we win or lose this battle – if something happens to me, or Luke, I want you to take care of Padmé. Stay with Leia and be safe.” 

 _Stars_. He’s thought about this, mapped out all the what-if’s to Rey battling Snoke and the First Order. Kylo’s considered what her _dying_ would mean, yet it’s never left such a bad taste in his mouth as it does now that she herself brings it up. 

“I will. We will be.” Kylo wants to say much more, but he’s not used to this. Teary goodbyes. His father preferred cheerful _See you later_ ’s before flying off in the Falcon. The First Order never dwelled on death or being separated from loved ones on the whole.  

Rey continues. “When I leave tomorrow – I want everything to be fine. You and Padmé. I want to make sure I’ve settled everything in case something happens to me and I can’t -” 

She’s start crying then, tears steadily flowing down her cheeks. She leans forward, pressing her face to Kylo’s chest. He stiffens momentarily at her sudden closeness, but then wraps his arms around her and pulls her in. 

“My parents – they said they would come back. They never really said goodbye. They just _left_ and didn’t return. ” Rey sobs. “I want Padmé to remember me and know I left her in good hands.” 

So this is what her tears are about, then. Rey isn’t afraid to die – she’s afraid to leave unfinished. Scared to be separated from their daughter by something more permanent than just time and space. 

Kylo gently runs his hand up and down her back. Padmé has taught him elemental things about human emotions, and this sort of movement always calmed her down quickly. 

It works with Rey too. Her breathing eventually evens out, and he can feel no more tears staining his shirt. 

“If there is anyone that can take out Snoke, it’s you. You’re the only one tied up strongly enough to the Light.” Kylo says. He means it. When they first met, there was something feral and unpolished about Rey and the power inside her – yet, something extremely strong too. Something so unyielding about what was good and wrong, that he had been infinitely draw to her light. 

If there is anyone that won’t be seduced by Snoke, it’s her. 

She pulls back and looks at him again. Rey examines his face, not speaking but eyes searching for something. 

“Maybe.” Rey wipes her nose on the sleeve of her jacket and turns away from Kylo, leaving the bed. “I won’t be doing it alone, either way. I'm happy for that.” She shoots him a shaky smile. 

“I should go. Early start tomorrow.” 

Rey makes her way to the door, and Kylo follows silently. He stops her before she has the chance to walk out. 

“Good luck.” He hesitates for a moment, but pulls her against him in another firm hug. 

There are many things he wants to tell her but can’t – the words simply won’t pour out of him. Everything he has he puts into this embrace then, pressing her tiny body against his much bigger one in a comforting gesture. 

Rey puts her arms around his waist, snuggling her face against his shoulder and inhaling deeply. 

“I will be back. And we’ll be a family for real this time around.” 

Even in her darkest moments, Rey has a way of holding onto the light. It’s a mystery how she does it, but Kylo is eternally grateful that he gets to feel this warmth in her time and time again.

 


End file.
